Image forming apparatus and drum unit

• US 10,558,139 B2
• Filed: 07/23/2019
• Issued: 02/11/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Brother Industries Limited)
• Original Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Brother Industries Limited)
• Inventors: Tsukada, Takamasa, Yokoi, Junichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Bolduc, David J
• Application Number:
  US16/519,140
• Publication Number:
  US 20190346790A1
• Time in Patent Office: 203 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/04054 by LED arrays
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 21/1647 Mechanical connection means
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 21/1666 for the exposure unit

Abstract

An image forming apparatus, having a photosensitive drum assembly, an exposure head, and a bearing, is provided. The photosensitive drum assembly includes a photosensitive drum and a flange disposed at an end of the photosensitive drum in an axial direction of an axis of the photosensitive drum. The flange contacts an inner surface of the photosensitive drum. The exposure head includes a plurality of light emitters aligned along the axial direction of the photosensitive drum, a lens array focusing light from the light emitters on the photosensitive drum, and a head frame to support the light emitters and the lens array. The bearing has a first contact face to contact the exposure head to define a distance between the lens array and the photosensitive drum along a direction of an optical axis of the light.

Claims

1. An image forming apparatus, comprising:

a main housing;

a drum unit detachable from the main housing, the drum unit comprising;

a photosensitive drum assembly;

a bearing supporting the photosensitive drum assembly rotatably; and

a drum frame supporting the bearing; and

an exposure head comprising;

a plurality of light emitters aligned along an axial direction which is a direction of a rotation axis of the photosensitive drum assembly;

a lens array for focusing light from the light emitters on the photosensitive drum assembly; and

a head frame supporting the light emitters and the lens array,

wherein the bearing includes;

a contact face being in contact with the exposure head along a direction of an optical axis of the light; and

a face being in contact at least partly with the drum frame in a rotating direction of the photosensitive drum assembly.

2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the face is located at a position farther than an outer surface of the photosensitive drum assembly from the rotation axis of the photosensitive drum assembly.

3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the face is located at a position farther than the contact face from the rotation axis of the photosensitive drum assembly.

4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the face is arranged on one side and the other side across a line, which extends through the contact face and the rotation axis of the photosensitive drum assembly along a radial direction of the photosensitive drum assembly in a view along the axial direction.

5. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the bearing includes an extending portion having a plate-like shape, the extending portion extending outward in a radial direction of the photosensitive drum assembly;

and

wherein the extending portion has the contact face at an end thereof.

6. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the bearing includes an extending portion having a plate-like shape, the extending portion extending outward in a radial direction of the photosensitive drum assembly;

and

wherein the extending portion has the face at an end thereof.

7. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the contact face is a plane face spreading orthogonally to the direction of the optical axis.

8. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the bearing is made of resin.

9. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the bearing has a cantilever configured to press the photosensitive drum assembly toward one side in a radial direction of the photosensitive drum assembly.

10. The image forming apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the cantilever is located on a line extending orthogonally to the rotation axis of the photosensitive drum assembly through the contact face in a view along the axial direction.

11. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the bearing comprises a roller-supporting portion supporting a roller rotatably, the roller contacting and rotating on the photosensitive drum assembly;

and

wherein the roller-supporting portion includes the face.

12. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a developing roller,

wherein the bearing includes a guide portion guiding the developing roller movably in a radial direction of the photosensitive drum assembly.

13. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the photosensitive drum assembly comprises a photosensitive drum in a cylindrical shape and a flange disposed at an end of the photosensitive drum in the axial direction, the flange contacting an inner surface of the photosensitive drum;

and

wherein the bearing directly supports the flange rotatably.

14. The image forming apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the flange is made of resin.

15. A drum unit, comprising:

a photosensitive drum assembly, the photosensitive drum assembly being exposable to light from an exposure head;

a bearing supporting the photosensitive drum assembly rotatably; and

a drum frame supporting the bearing,

wherein the bearing includes;

a contact face being in contact with the exposure head along a direction of an optical axis of the light; and

a face being in contact at least partly with the drum frame in a rotating direction to the photosensitive drum assembly.

16. The drum unit according to claim 15, wherein the face is located at a position farther than an outer surface of the photosensitive drum assembly from a rotation axis of the photosensitive drum assembly.

17. The drum unit according to claim 15, wherein the bearing includes an extending portion having a plate-like shape, the extending portion extending outward in a radial direction of the photosensitive drum assembly;

and

wherein the extending portion has the face at an end thereof.

18. The drum unit according to claim 15, wherein the bearing is made of resin.

19. The drum unit according to claim 15,

wherein the photosensitive drum assembly comprises a photosensitive drum in a cylindrical shape and a flange disposed at an end of the photosensitive drum in an axial direction, the flange contacting an inner surface of the photosensitive drum;

and

wherein the bearing directly supports the flange rotatably.

20. An image forming apparatus, comprising:

a photosensitive drum assembly;

a bearing supporting the photosensitive drum assembly rotatably;

a drum frame supporting the bearing; and

an exposure head comprising;

a plurality of light emitters aligned along an axial direction which is a direction of a rotation axis of the photosensitive drum assembly;

a lens array for focusing light from the light emitters on the photosensitive drum assembly; and

a head frame supporting the light emitters and the lens array,

wherein the bearing is in contact with the exposure head along a direction of an optical axis of the light and is in contact at least partly with the drum frame in a rotating direction of the photosensitive drum assembly.